ACT Parenting Program: A pilot study with observational measures of parent-child interaction

Abstract

Considering the lack of studies involving primary prevention of child abuse, this pilot study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the ACT Parenting Program, a universal violence prevention program, through observational measures of parent-child interactions and parental self-report. The study included 10 parents, randomly assigned to waitlist control group (CG) and experimental group (EG), with pre-test/post-test/follow-up measures. The observation sessions were conducted in a lab-house with one-way mirror and filming equipment. Comparing the groups, the EG had a significant increase in self-reported problem-solving skills after program completion. However, no differences were found among observational measures. Further studies are required to attest the effectiveness of the program with behavioral measures.